Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Most tourists going to the Seychelles for holidays will no doubt use one of the numerous online booking services to stay at a five-star Seychelles hotel or resort. However, this trend has been slowly but rather obviously changing during the recent years. Indeed, more people have starting booking sea view villas for various reasons. These villas offer several advantages when compared to the hotels and resorts, regardless of their rating, and are thus getting more numerous in the hotels.

The first advantage of staying in a villa or a Seychelles guesthouse is obviously the price. Compared to even a three-star hotel, a villa is relatively cheaper. Some people are going to argue that a villa however does not boast all the amenities compared to a popular hotel. While this is true, it is important to keep in mind that in many cases, those expensive amenities actually go unused. A hotel fee will include many things such as a private bar or the internet, which most tourists end up completely overlooking anyway. In a villa, the prices are cheaper since these amenities are not included.

The second advantage of choosing a Seychelles is the atmosphere. The Seychelles villas are known to have a more family-oriented atmosphere as opposed to hotels which, for all intent and purposes, care mainly about the business. So, if you just love family places where you can chat with a lot of other tourists, villas do have that benefit. In addition, a lot of villas are now self catering, which means you can pretty much eat any kind of food instead of always depending on a hotel menu.

Another huge benefit of using villas is that they tend to be quieter. This makes a huge difference for someone who wishes to have a thoroughly relaxing time in Seychelles. Hotels tend to be busy, and this bustling is known to be an annoyance to many tourists who feel they are still in the hometown. However, villas are cleaners and quieter since they have less people. These people have often chosen a villa because they like the quiet themselves, so you will not find them shouting at each other and suddenly playing the latest hip hop hit at four in the morning.

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Cars are an essential part of movies in Hollywood, and it is not surprising to see car-related movies coming out quite often. While the plots and action scenes have changed due to the technological advances both in cars and the movie industry, there is no denying that a car movie will be a big hit if done right. History has proven this with several blockbusters such as The Duel, Spielberg's first hit, American Graffiti, Bullitt, or even Death Race. There are also other movies that successfully ride over the success of car movies, but without actually becoming classics. This article takes a closer look at the top 5 cars found in movies.

5) The Ford Mustang GT 390 in BullittBullitt's Ford Mustang GT 390 may need a strong shout to be considered. It is true that it is completely lacking as far as gadgets go and cannot boast impressive abilities such as the Batmobile's auto-destruction feature or even James Bond's invisible car, but this GT 390 was among the best of its kind. That. And the seven-minute or so chase scene involving this Mustang and the Dodge Charger is still one of the most impressive car scenes ever filmed.

4) The Pontiac Trans Am in Smokey and the BanditWhile there is no denying that the car makes the man, there arise some cases where the man makes the car. In this case, the man and his mustache make the car. Indeed, Burt Reynold's Pontiac Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most memorable cars in Hollywood history. Just like the GT 390 in Bullit, this Pontiac is as regular as it gets, but was involved in one of the most insane missions seen in a movie. And it did have a very unique feature: a runaway bride through half the movie.

3) The De Lorean from the Back to the Future trilogyThe De Lorean is every little boy's dream come true and not simply for its time-travelling abilities. This extremely stylish car boasts an amazingly slick outline, complete with a flux capacitor and a plutonium-powered nuclear reactor (since plutonium is a readily available item at the closest Walmart), and will travel at dizzying speeds that very likely send the driver into the future. Of course, with a title as mysterious as Back to the Future, it is not surprising that the car's been designed to be as mysterious and interesting as possible.

2) The Aston Martin DB5 in GoldfinderBulletproof glass? Check. People are just going to be shooting at James Bond anyway. Machine guns? Check. Whoever fires at James Bond will get fired at. Radar? Check. Satellite navigations are too common for James Bond. The Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinder pretty much redefined the Bond car. It's gorgeous and boasted the most impressive list of Bond gadgets at that time. And it's being driven by Sean Connery, so it deserves the nod over competitors.

1) The Batmobile from The Dark KnightIt may look ugly at first, but the design of The Dark Knight's Batmobile is one that grows onto viewers the more it is seen on-screen. Not only that, but this car just oozes style. Its plethora of incredible gadgets, which includes the whole car being even grenade-proof, is nothing less than one would expect from Batman. Did I also mention that the car can transform into a motorbike if it's too damaged?

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Seychelles is an extremely popular destination, and tourists from all over the world go there every year for a thoroughly relaxing time on the beaches during their vacation. However, although Seychelles is infamous for its beaches, it should be said that there are many other satisfying things one can do while staying in the Seychelles. Here are the top 5 things, excluding the beaches, one can do when visiting the Seychelles:

1) Taste the unique Seychelles recipesAnybody who has been to the Seychelles once will tell you this: the native recipes are among the best in the world. Their fresh ingredients and unique flavor make Seychelles cuisine very delicious and their dish arrangement is quite mouth-watering. The main recipes in Seychelles are obviously based on fish, but there's something for everyone's taste. There are literally dozens of restaurants in Seychelles which have better food than the hotels. It is thus a good idea to dine out on a few occasions so you don't miss on the food.

2) Go clubbingAlthough not on par with European or even Asian clubs in size and atmosphere, the Seychelles clubs have a distinctive atmosphere that is very popular with tourists. There are not that many clubs in the Seychelles, but they are definitely worth visiting regardless of your age and music preferences. The clubs are also always a great place to get to know the locals better.

3) Nature ridesSeychelles is an island, and, like most islands, there are wide spaces that are perfect for riding and hiking. There are places where you can rent a bike scattered all over the Seychelles, and it's always fun to hire a few bikes and go riding on the lush plains presents in the Seychelles.

4) SnorkelingIn addition to its infamous beaches, Seychelles is also well known for its snorkeling sites, which is not surprising when one considers that it is located in arguably the best region in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles marine fauna and flora are almost unmatched in the world, making it the perfect destination for snorkeling fans. However, due to the quite expensive rental prices of snorkeling gear, it is recommended you bring your own if possible.

5) ShoppingYou will not find the latest technology gadgets in the Seychelles, but you will easily find a lot of beautiful local hand-made products such as jewelries, paintings, and sculptures that make great souvenirs. Prices are also quite low, and shopping around for the most unique souvenir is always extremely fun.

Just going around in the Seychelles is also great fun. However, if you signed up on a package deal, this is often difficult as you are expect to stick to the hotel's schedule. It is thus recommended to contact a Seychelles car hire company so you can visit the island at your own leisure.

Sunday, 10 October 2010

This is a quick guide to hacking the PlayStation 3 with the TI-84. Most of the guides I've read spend way too much time talking about irrelevant stuff and going into long-winded technical explanations that you probably don't want to bother about. I have yet to see a guide that simply gives step-by-step instructions on how to hack the PS3, which is why I'm creating this.

Note: I am only posting this on an educational basis. If you mess up and it breaks your PS3, tough luck. I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens to your PS3.

PS3 hacking will only work if you have firmware 3.41 or below. Anything higher, and you won't be able to hack your PS3. You also cannot downgrade from firmware 3.42 to 3.41. This is because the firmware is flashed onto the PS3 itself and not the harddrive (this also explains why the PS3 firmware stays the same when you replace the harddrive). Whatever you may have read on another blog of forum, let me reiterate that you cannot downgrade from firmware 3.42 on the PS3.

My PS3 is currently on firmware 3.41, and the method I'm outlining worked without any issues. This PS3 jailbreak should also work with firmware 3.40, but I'm not sure about the rest. I do not personally know much about the differences in firmware in respect to the jailbreak, but I guess you will find all the information you need if you search around a bit on Google and on any PS3 forum (which won't take long because that's all they're talking about these days).

If you have anything lower, I advise you download the 3.41 firmware (you know the drill) and install it on your PS3.

Once you've downloaded the firmware, place it in X:\PS3\UPDATE on a USB drive to update your PS3 (do a manual backup first). If you usually update your firmware via USB, you're probably used to this. If you usually update directly on your PS3, you're doing it wrong. It is better and safer to update your PS3 via USB. Not that this matters now because you obviously won't be able to update your PS3 again once it's jailbroken.

You can use various devices to hack your PS3. This device compability list at PSFreedom is the best such list. Do not trust anything else. If it's not there, it cannot be done. Obviously, if you do not have any of those devices, you won't be able to hack your PS3. These instructions work with the TI-84 only.

To jailbreak your PS3, download the app from PS3JB and follow the instructions. PS3JB has the best instruction for hacking the PS3 with a TI-84 and has all the screenshots you need.

Once you've hacked your PS3, you will also need to download the PS3-Hacks Backup Manager. Place the Backup Manager on a USB drive, insert it in the PS3. From here, choose Install Package Files, and install the Backup Manager. You're done!

Here's a video of someone using this method to successfully hack a PS3. It's a fairly quick process, and you'll be able to back up your games on your PS3 once you're done. However, remember that you will not be able to use PSN or update your firmware once your PS3 is hacked.

Monday, 4 October 2010

Seychelles has become a very popular destination with tourists thanks to its beautiful beaches, its great weather, and its affordability compared to other destinations. The important thing for someone who wishes to visit Seychelles is to keep in mind that Seychelles is actually composed of several small islands and is not in fact a single island. The main islands are Praslin and Mahé, which are both favorites among tourists, but the other islands are similarly beautiful and well worth visiting.

The main attraction in Seychelles is of course its exquisite beaches which rank among the best in the world. However, due to an amazingly large number of beaches in Seychelles which may confuse visitors not used to such a selection, it becomes a chore to decide which beach to visit first. As such, people going to the Seychelles for their holidays or honeymoon may wish to read about the Seychelles beaches before their plane lands.

This will ensure that they do not waste time deciding which beach to visit once they get there. It is also recommended that they use a car hire Seychelles company to rent a car instead of using a guide. This will allow them to visit the different beaches at their own pace as a guide may want to stick to his own programme.

The best beach to visit in Seychelles is Anse Lazio, which is at the North end of Praslin. Anse Lazio remains a unique site with large boulders on each end of the beach and the whitest sand one can find in the world. This Seychelles beach is generally regarded as one of the finest beaches in the world and is thus always packed with tourists but is a must-see for anyone visiting the Seychelles.

Another incredibly beautiful bleach is Beau Vallon, which is an extremely popular hangout for tourists and comes with a complete set of activities such as parasailing and snorkeling. While Praslin's Anse Lazio is the place to go for a quiet day on the beach to sunbathe, Beau Vallon is the place to go if you like participating in activities. Fishing and diving are two other activities readily available, and there's something for everybody’s tastes.

Finally, another beach that must absolutely be visited in Seychelles is the one in Port Victoria. While the water is not as beautiful as Anse Lazio and is in fact known for being quite salty, the beach in Port Victoria has perhaps the best scenery in all of Seychelles. It's a great place if you are only interested in relaxing yourself on the beach, but is devoid of other activities. However, the scenery alone makes the Port Victoria beach rank among the best in the Seychelles.

Friday, 1 October 2010

GameFAQs did it, Facebook did it, Twitter's currently doing it, and IMDB just joined the wagon...It got a new layout. I'm not against layout changes personally. If implemented right, they can be a good thing. Change can be a great thing, and it's even more important on a fast changing environment such as the Internet.

IMDB thus launched its new layout. It's horrible. They took a great, easy-to-understand layout and turned it into garbage. It's cluttered and extremely difficult to scan or just look up quickly information. That's a pretty big mistake because a lot of people visit IMDB to quickly check up on some details in the main details section or the trivia section. There's usually a choice between IMDB and Wikipedia but the latter does have the problem of putting spoilers right in your face. As such, it's usually better to stick to IMDB unless you don't mind having your movies spoiled.

Normally, even if a website's design got worse, I would not mind for long as there's always the probability that one's going to get used to it, mainly due to a lack of options. However, IMDB tooks things futher.

IMDB does not work. A lot of features do not work in Firefox. You cannot rate movies in Firefox. Ironically, the feedback form they explicitly created to obtain comments on the new layout will not even submit. So, if you are using Firefox to visit IMDB and just want to point out that you can no longer rate movies, tough luck. You will have to switch to Internet Explorer (assuming that everything on IMDB is fine in at least in Internet Explorer) to report all these glaring problems. I am guessing IMDB does not bother testing its new layouts before it rolls them out.

Thankfully, there is the option to revert to the old IMDB layout, but there is no guarantee that this option will always be available, or if it's just a temporary feature until people stop complaining about features not working and how cluttered the new IMDB looks like. I certainly hope this option is available as long as the main IMDB features (such as, you know, voting on movies) are not working on Firefox.